Architecture at Expo 2020 Dubai | UAE PAVILION

Aerial view of the UAE Pavilion, Expo 2020 Dubai. (Photo by Dany Eid/Expo 2020 Dubai)

Expo 2020 is a host to some of the most exciting country pavilions marked by unique and stellar architecture representing each nation’s legacy and vision of the future.

Architect: Santiago Calatrava
Location: Al Forsan
Area: 15,000 square meters
Inspiration: A flying falcon
Design: The massive wingedshape steel roof comes with modern kinetic capacities and innovative architectural features. The ‘wings’ (28 in total) can open and rotate ranging from 110 to 125 degrees. The eye-catching roof is also designed to harvest energy through integrated photovoltaic panels.
Sustainability: The pavilion is certified LEED platinum and is in line with the Dubai Green Building Regulations and Specifications (DGBR). The pavilion is highly energy efficient incorporating a range of components and qualities designed for sustainability.

Visitors at the UAE Pavilion
Visitors at the UAE Pavilion

Following a seven month design competition with submissions from the world’s leading architecture firms, the National Media Council of the United Arab Emirates selected Santiago Calatrava’s proposal for the UAE Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai.

The announcement was made after an intense design competition overseen by Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company. Nine of the world’s most celebrated architectural firms submitted eleven concepts; each concept was evaluated on how it expressed the main theme of Expo 2020, “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future,” whether it had a distinct UAE feel and if it struck an appropriate balance between the country’s past and future.

UAE Pavilion on a foggy morning, Expo 2020 Dubai. (Photo by Steve Holland/Expo 2020 Dubai)
UAE Pavilion on a foggy morning, Expo 2020 Dubai. (Photo by Steve Holland/Expo 2020 Dubai)

Located at the heart of the nearly 500-acre exhibition area, the UAE Pavilion features 8,000 square meters of exhibition space. As a symbol of the UAE’s pioneering and innovative spirit, the sheltering form of the UAE Pavilion’s steel roof, influenced by the grace and force of the falcon, is equipped with contemporary kinetic capacities and innovative architectural elements

Inspired by the breathtaking nature of the UAE, the architecture of the UAE Pavilion is also a unique marvel. With 28 movable wings, the UAE Pavilion’s roof can spread its wings to harvest energy through integrated photovoltaic panels.

Exterior view of the UAE Pavilion. Expo 2020 Dubai
Exterior view of the UAE Pavilion. Expo 2020 Dubai

The information was extracted from the press release.
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